rosace (ro-zass) noun, feminine rose-patterned After lunch I quickly clear off the table, making room for my daughter to do her math. Jackie sets down her paper, her pencil bag, and her new compass (the kind with two "legs" joined by a hinge—and not the kind that points to the North Pole). I watch her work the compass until a series of swirls appear on … Continue reading rosace
Coquille (ko-kee) noun, feminine shell When I am old and wrinkled—well into the troisième âge—I want to race along the shores of Brittany on my Mobylette, that most groovy of French bikes with an engine! I want to be an eccentric vieille dame. I don't want to care about what anyone thinks, as long as I am not imposing myself on their philosophie de vie. I'll … Continue reading coquille
Photo taken at the restaurant "La Grotte" at the end of Marseilles, in Callelongue… Dédommagement (day-doh-mazh-mahn) noun, masculinecompensation. In a menswear boutique in Draguignan, I stand at the comptoir, hesitating between the powder-blue chemise and the olive-green one. As I hem and haw, Jackie taps her foot, says either shirt will look good on Papa, and sighs for the nième time. I remind her that … Continue reading dedommagement
Photo taken in Barcelonnette Pêle-Mêle (pel-mel) higgledy-piggledy, any old how Jean-Marc pulled into the snow-n-slush parking lot behind l'Equipe Hotel, got out and searched for the entrance. Ignoring the two-foot-tall board marked ENTREE, he side-trekked around the back of the building. I think he purposely misses these "how-to" signs and, in so doing, he turns life into one man's perpetual back-to-nature quest (and French … Continue reading What does pêle-mêle mean in French? And how to say carpet (moquette)
Christmastime in Valbonne. Espoir (es-pwar) noun, masculine hope The following letter is an intimate look into la naissance of a certain "thrice-weekly" journal from France. This online blog began in October of 2002 following its earlier pen-and-paper beginnings—as letters that were sent via snail mail to a group … Continue reading espoir
A chalet in the French Alps at Queyras Allumer (a-lew-may) to light In a rustic hamlet nestled into the French Alps at Queyras, we drank café-au-lait from gigantic ceramic bowls, slathered homemade confiture de mûres over thick slices of buttered bread, and talked about what a good night's sleep we had just had. The French were fibbing, … Continue reading allumer
Max, some time ago… Epuiser (ay-pwee-zay) to exhaust, to wear out Max has paired an orange-and-blue T-shirt with red sweatpants. I gaze at my son, thinking about how I need to explain to him the basics of fashion. For one, he needs to learn the rule on colors that clash: "No wearing orange with … Continue reading épuiser
Crotte makers in the southern French town of Tarradeau (Var). Crotte (krot) noun, feminine doo-doo The first time we dined together, she remarked that I was stuffy. Specifically, she said she had the impression that she had spent the evening with "la Reine." Her remarks struck me as ironic, for it was this woman and her upper-class status which had so affected me. So when … Continue reading la crotte
